An example of surface pitting on Sweetheart cherries. Surface pitting in sweet cherries is a common, yet complex problem that researchers are trying to better understand. For years, the small sunken areas, or pits, on the fruit surface were assumed to be a primarily a postharvest phenomenon that occurred during packing. Pitting is often caused by a mechanical impact or compression, according to information posted on the Web site of the University of California’s Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center, and is associated with damage to cells near the epidermis, which collapse over time. But some varieties are more prone […]